Do Baseball Hats Keep You Cool? (3 Determining Factors)

When you ask people or search online about whether a baseball hat keeps you cool during a hot day, you can hear two stories where one states that it does and the other that it doesn’t. It’s important to know which way it is, especially if you live in a hot area because constant exposure to direct sunlight has various downsides.

So, does a baseball hat keep you cool? Generally, baseball hats will keep your head cool from radiant heat, especially if the hat is light in color and has mesh material to allow sweat evaporation. The hat won’t necessarily lower your body’s core temperature; however, it will make your head feel cooler and, thus, your whole body.

There are many baseball caps and other types of hats out there, and not all are equal. Some features will increase the cooling effect of your hat, whereas other hat types won’t necessarily make you any cooler, but in fact, make you hotter.

To gain the benefits of a cooling hat on a hot day, you need to learn the things that your hat should have for it to happen.

What Affects the Colling Effect of a Hat?

Two things affect how your baseball hat will be; color, material, and construction type. I’ll walk you through each one!

1. Color

First and foremost, the color of your hat has a drastic effect on how cooling the hat will be. As a rule of thumb, the lighter the color, the better.

Think about a time when you wore a black t-shirt on a hot day and compare it to a day when you wore a light-colored shirt. Studies have shown that the color black absorbs the most heat because it absorbs all wavelengths and reflects none.

The color that absorbs the least light and reflects the most is white. If you want a baseball cap that is the coolest, you should choose a white hat.

As opposed to the color black that reflects no wavelengths of light, the color white reflects all, making it absorb the least amount of heat!

2. Material

Second, the material the hat is made of is of the essence when you try to keep your head and body as cool as possible. Choose a material that absorbs the least amount of sweat.

You should choose a hat that absorbs a low amount of sweat because when the material absorbs sweat, it will be against your head, which doesn’t aid your cooling efforts. In addition, the material will become heavier, steamier, smellier, and more irritating.

Some of the best hat materials for hot weather include;

• Polyester: Polyester is a synthetic fiber that resembles plastic. The great thing about polyester is that it’s durable, water and abrasion resistant, and tend to be moisture repellant. Polyester will keep you dry.
• Cotton: Cotton is made from cellulose and it’s a natural fiber. Advantages that cotton has include softness, comfort, breathability, and the lack of irritation against your skin. Cotton as it’s own isn’t durable in hats, which is why it is often mixed with other materials.
• Nylon: Nylon in a synthetic polymer that is very lightweight and thin. These benefits work well with keeping you cool, in addition to breathability, easy maintenance, and immunity to shrinking.
• Wool: Wool is a natural material that often come from sheep’s but also from alpacas, goats, and other animals. Wool is one of the most popular material for caps, and has various benefits such as great softness and comfort, breathable air pockets, and moisture wicking properties.

All these materials are great for a baseball cap or a hat for keeping you cool.

3. Construction type

Last but not least, the hat’s construction type will not only affect how cool it is but also how comfortable and sunlight blocking it is.

Generally, you should choose a hat with mesh material to allow natural sweat evaporation. In addition, a black under brim is a great benefit as it won’t reflect so much light that would negatively affect your vision.

What Is the Best Hat to Keep Cool?

So what is the best baseball cap or hat to keep you cool? That’s a valid question, and I have just what you need! Let’s review it.

Best Hat To Keep You Cool: Rongjun American Style Baseball Cap

If you are looking for a cooling baseball cap, it can be hard to find one that is mixed with style. However, my favorite cooling baseball cap, trucker cap, snapback, or whatever you want to call it is the Rongjun American Baseball Cap.

This cap has it all when it comes to cool properties. First of all, it is light in color, and my favorite color is grey like in the picture, because it is light enough to keep cool, yet the under brim isn’t radiating light to your eyes. Plus, the grey looks are amazing! If it isn’t your favorite, it has eight more colors to choose from.

The cap’s material is a cotton polyester mix, which creates a great comfort/durability balance! The back half of the hat is also holed, creating a breathable feel that is essential to keep comfortable yet cool.

You can adjust the cap’s size to nine different sizes so it fits well and won’t fly off your head when you swing. I love the patriotic and American feel to it, which matches perfectly with baseball.

Is It Bad to Wear a Hat All Day?

There are many hats, caps, beanies, and the list goes on. Some people never seem to take their hats off or wear them most of the time. I also love hats and have often wondered whether it is bad to wear a hat all day, every day. I suspect that many other people are wondering the same thing.

So, is it bad to wear a hat all the time? Generally, wearing a hat all day, every day, doesen’t pose a risk to your head, scalp, or hair. However, a dirty hat that hasn’t been washed can cause hygiene issues in your scalp, and a very tight hat such as a beanie can cause traction alopecia, which is connected to hair loss.

Let’s talk about hair loss and baldness first. If you know that you wear a very tight hat and notice hair loss, you can reverse traction alopecia by not wearing that hat or do any actions that cause your hair to be pulled, such as a tight hairdo. A hat isn’t the cause for anybody’s baldness; however, if it is so tight that it pulls the hair, it can cause traction alopecia that can cause hair loss.

Second, wearing a sweaty hat all the time can and probably will cause hygiene issues such as irritated skin, pimples, or even inflammation. It’s important to give your scalp time to breathe, wash your hat consistently, and throw it out if the sweat and impurities aren’t going away.

Does Wearing a Hat Make You More Attractive?

People may wear hats for various practical reasons, but there are visual reasons as well. People, me included, love wearing hats to make themselves more attractive. This is mostly a personal preference, and not all hats make the wearer more attractive than without (speaking from experience).

This is true for both men and women, and both genders sometimes use hats to spice up their looks, depending on the person, of course. Some people hate hats and doesen’t want anything to do with them as they think it makes them look less attractive.

Generally, the most attractive hats are

• Caps
• Beanies
• Fedoras

Yet, some people look great in bucket hats and others in tophats. Where do you stand? Do you think hats make people and yourself more attractive?